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Chorizo, Kale and White Bean Soup

… and just like that, it’s the New Year. Amazing how time flies, isn’t it? Even harder for me to believe is that later this month this blog will have it’s third birthday! What an experience it’s been. I know I’ve said it before, but really, I can’t say it enough: thanks for stopping by and reading. I hope you enjoy these posts even a fraction of how much I enjoy making them.

Since it’s the new year, I decided to make some blog-centric resolutions:

1) More variety of recipes!

2) Branch out, away from just recipes, while maintaining the integrity of a recipe blog

3) More posts, more often

4) More collaboration and guest bloggers

One thing that I hear from people after they have commented on the blog and said nice things about it is “I didn’t realize you were a vegetarian?”

Ummm, I’m not. Not even close.

I just happen not to blog much about meat, mostly because even though I love it and have zero qualms with my omnivorism, we do eat like vegetarians most of the time around here. So, with my first blog resolution being more variety, I have decided to embrace the blogging of more meat dishes to help round out the archives a bit. So many blogs do ‘Meatless Mondays’ in order to ensure some vegetarian content and contribute to the cultural shift away from the old fashioned meat and potatoes diet. I applaud them for it! There are loads of really delicious, nutritious, and interesting Meatless Monday dishes out there. Since my blog tends to lean the other way and I’m aiming for a bit more balance, I’m instituting, effecting today, Meaty Mondays here on Feasts for All Seasons.

Every Monday for the foreseeable future I’ll highlight a mainly meat dish. Let me know how you like them.

Without further ado, let’s get to our first Meaty Monday recipe: Chorizo Soup with White Beans and Kale.

Enjoy!

Chorizo Soup with White Beans and Kale

make this in a big pot and don’t be afraid to really let it cook: the longer it simmers, the more robust it’s flavours will be.

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, peeled and diced

6 stalks of celery, diced

4 large carrots, scrubbed but not peeled, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 bay leaves

1 large can (28 oz/795ml) crushed tomatoes

1 lb/454g chorizo sausage, sliced into 1/4″ coins

1 large can (28 oz/795ml) white beans (such as cannellini or kidney), undrained

12 cups fresh kale, stems removed, lightly packed

Over medium heat, stirring frequently, cook the onions, celery, carrots, garlic and bay leaves in the olive oil. Allow the onions to soften and brown slightly. Add the tomatoes and 3 cans worth of cold water. Bring to a boil. Add the chorizo and turn down to low. Allow the soup to simmer on low heat for at least 90 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. If the tomatoes have made the soup too acidic, add a small amount of sugar (a couple of teaspoons at the most) to take the edge off and mellow it out.

Add the beans and their canning liquid, along with the kale, about 15 minutes before you wish to serve the soup. This will allow for the beans to warm through but not go to mush, and for the kale to wilt and become tender but not lose it’s intense green colour and exceptional nutrients.

Serve hot with bread or crackers. Makes enough for 6-8 hungry people, usually with leftovers. This soup will freeze very nicely for up to 3 months.